Off The Map
by TheDarkLightWithin
Summary: Bring them strength to fight for their lives. Fill them with hope, courage and love. Bring them the strength they need to survive what was never suppose to happen. Fill them with wisdom beyond their years and last, but not least. Run.
1. Chapter One

**_{Sections of this story that is written in Italic's will be flash backs unless stated otherwise. Please do enjoy!}_ **

She couldn't remember sleeping on something so soft in a good while. She was used to makeshift beds, sleeping bags that were lead out on the floor or simply not sleeping at all. However, she winced slightly when she began to turn towards the left. A sharp pain had shot through her right leg, causing her to sigh deeply and roll her eyes behind her closed lids. Assuming instantly that she had slept on it funny. She inhaled deeply, smelling the air that surrounded her. She tried to think back to a time when she had been in a place that offered up fresh air, but couldn't remember ever smelling air as fresh as what she was currently breathing in. She sighed once more in contentment before she stretched her arms above her and slowly opened her eyes.

At first glance, she wasn't alarmed. She had spent more time than she could account for sleeping under trees. What did make her eyes open wider was the fact that she was alone and did not remember taking refuge. The all to familiar smell of blood caught her nose, causing it to wrinkle as she turned her head to the side.

She noticed she was in fact lead on a small clearing of long grass, which explained why she wasn't uncomfortable. However, what was supposed to be green grass had turned a crimson red beside her head.

Lifting a shaky left hand to her forehead, she pressed gently on it and felt her fingers slip and slicken with a substance she knew before even taking a look.

_Blood._

It was clear to her that something had happened. However, whether it be from her head wound or a moment of panic. She couldn't remember. Slowly and gently, she pushed herself into a sitting position and glanced around the clearing. Frowning slightly, she eyed the middle of what was once, long, uncut grass. However, where her body lay, the grass was flattened against the ground.

Her head throbbed as she squeezed her eyes shut tightly, begging herself to remember. She vividly remembered the airport. A woman telling her she had been switched to another flight...

_"I'm very sorry about the delay, but it seems as though you are being re-directed to another flight."_

_"Right... Sorry, why is that?"_

_"Flight 716 has been cancelled. The pilot had to make an emergency landing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia."_

_"Can't I wait for that flight?" She asked with a confused look._

_"I'm afraid you've been booked onto Flight 815."_

_"Right." She sighed. "Look, I've just come from Afghanistan. As you can probably tell from my passport, I'm English. I've already been re-directed once and I really don't fancy taking a trip to the U.S then catching a flight home. I've been out there for eight months."_

_"I'm sorry Miss, there really is nothing I can do."_

_"No... It's alright..." She mumbled as she sent a smile at the receptionist._

_She grabbed her bags and began to walk through the barrier before she heard the receptionist call out once more._

_"Sorry?" She asked as the receptionist smiled._

_"Thank you for you service, Miss."_

_"Riley." Riley smiled. "It's Riley."_

Riley opened her eyes as she looked down at the uniform she still wore. Although parts of her uniform was covered in blood, she shrugged, remembering days on the front line when no one could make out the natural colour of the outfit.

"Oh, no way!" Riley groaned as she glanced at her right leg. A small piece of a branch, being the cause for much of the blood surrounding her, had lodged itself into her thigh. Riley glanced around in search for her pack which contained her medical kit but couldn't locate it.

Everything suddenly came back to her as she realised why she didn't have any of her belongings with her. The plane, the turbulence. _The crash_.

"Well, shit..." Riley mumbled as her eyes took in the sight of smoke in the sky. Shaking her head slightly, she grabbed the small branch in her hand and took a deep breath. In a swift motion she snapped the part not inside her thigh, leaving a small amount outside. Riley grimaced as she took deep breaths before pulling herself off the ground and taking off in the direction of the smoke.

The leaves and branches that had overgrown were pushed aside as she stumbled through. The closer to the smoke she got, the louder the noise was.

It was as if she was back on the job again. Screams and shouts filled her ears, the sound of small explosions in the background. Her breathing grew more frantic as she thought about what was going on. She could only wish it wasn't as bad as she had seen in the past. Luck, however, was not on her side.

Breaking through the tree line, she just managed to stop herself from gasping. Her eyes took in the sight quickly.

Unless you knew the wreckage was a full sized plane, you wouldn't believe it. All Riley could see of the plane was the middle section. The tail section and cockpit were missing. Where? Riley could only imagine.

"HELP!"

"Help!"

Riley didn't know which way to look. People screaming, begging for help. The yells were coming from every direction. She took a quick glance around before sprinting towards a man who was attempting to give a dark skinned woman, mouth to mouth.

"No, Stop." She panted as she slid to her knees and nudged the man back slightly. "You're doing it wrong."

"What?"

"Her head's not tilted back enough." Riley stated as she placed her fingers under the woman's chin and pushed her head backwards slightly.

Riley leaned down and hovered her ear against the woman's mouth, listening for any sign of breathing.

"Are you sure?" The man asked, sceptically.

"I'm pretty sure." Riley scoffed as she blew air into the woman's mouth.

"That's what I was doing!" The man quickly stated as he nudged Riley back who glared at him. "I'm a life guard, I'm licensed."

"Really?" Riley raised her brow. "I'd give that license back, if I were you." Riley put her right hand on top of her left and began to push rhythmically on the woman's chest with the pounding of her own heartbeat.

"Maybe we should do that hole thing?" Riley raised an eyebrow at him before he continued. "You know? Stick the pen in the throat?"

"Oh for..." Riley tried to keep her cool as she smiled at the man, sarcastically. "Good idea. You go find me a pen." She rolled her eyes as the man nodded and scampered off to find a pen. She continued her chest compressions for a further two minutes before her own heart started to beat faster.

"C'mon... C'mon... Please..." Riley began to panic as her compressions picked up the pace and pushed harder against the poor woman's chest. Just as she was about to give up, the women jolted and sucked in a deep breath. "Thank you." Riley breathed to the sky as she helped the women sit up. "Deep breaths... Deep breaths..."

Riley breathed with the women who stared into her eyes with wide, comforting eyes. It wasn't until, if possible, the woman's eyes widened that Riley knew something was wrong. Before she could attempt anything, the plane a bit behind them exploded.

Riley saw the flames before she felt the heat. She ducked over the women slightly as the heat nipped at her back. As quickly as the explosion happened, it was gone. kneeling up, Riley squeezed her eyes tightly shut as the ringing in her ears slowly subsided.

"Are you going to be alright?" Riley asked the woman, kindly. "I'm just going to go and see if anyone needs help." The women nodded ever so slightly at Riley who smiled before she stood up. gasping slightly, she glanced down at her leg which still held the snapped off branch.

**⁂ **

Riley spent a good thirty minutes looking around the beach, glancing every so often at people who looked to be hurt. Once she was sure they weren't any worse than they had started off, she continued on.

Content with how everyone was, Riley made her way towards the plane that was no longer a danger. She glanced around at the luggage for a moment before her eyes landed on a familiar rucksack. She grasped the strap of the rucksack and swung it on her shoulder before turning back towards the forest and making her way a little inwards.

One she was happy with the spacing, Riley took a seat on a small rock and placed her rucksack in front of her. She began to rummage through it until she pulled out a small container full with medical equipment.

Placing the small container on the rock beside her, she grasped the hole in her trouser leg with both and pulled them away from each other. The wound which still held the tree branch was fully exposed as Riley glared down at it. With a sigh and shrug, she realised she had dealt with much, much worse.

Grabbing an alcohol wipe and ripping the top off with her teeth, she wiped her hands clean before grabbing another one and opening it the same way. With a deep breath, Riley began to clean around the wound with the wipe, cleaning off the dried blood. Riley rummaged through the container once again and pulled out a handful of cotton which she folded into a square. With a deep breath and a quick nod of reassurance, Riley grasped the end of the branch with her right hand, held the cotton beside the wound with her left, and pulled.

She pulled slowly at first until she felt the branch just on the inside of her thigh. Once she felt the feeling, she pulled up and out and quickly pushed the pad of cotton against the steady flow of fresh blood with her left hand.

Before Riley had the chance to find some thread, a man stumbled through the trees. "Sorry." He breathed out as Riley raised a brow. "Do you need some help with that?"

Riley stared at him with a blank expression before he nodded towards her leg. She glanced down and her eyes widened slightly. "Oh! No... I'm good, thanks... Done this a million times... Er, do you have any thread?" She asked as she glanced in her container to see none.

"Yes." He breathed a laugh as he handed her the small pack.

Riley smiled as she took the thread and glanced at it.

"Since we're here... Do you think it'd be wrong if I used blue thread?" Riley smirked at the cotton.

The man breathed a laugh as he took his jacket off slowly. Riley winced at the amount of blood covering the back of his shirt. She looked back to her thigh and lifted the cotton off, slowly. The wound was still bleeding but not as much as it would have had she not placed the cotton on the wound.

She threaded the needle with the blue thread before she removed the pad of cotton and got to work on her wound. Every now and then she would wince from the feel of the needle going through her skin. Once she got to the end, she double stitched it before tying it off and cutting the rest of with the tiny scissors given in the kit.

"That is some beautiful stitch work." She grinned as she glanced at the man who knelt on the ground, trying to look at his wound. "Would you like some help?" Riley asked.

"I'm a doctor, I'd do it myself but I can't reach... Would you mind?"

"Just... Sit on the rock..." Riley muttered as he nodded, taking Riley's seat when she stood up. She grabbed her small container and took two alcohol wipes out. His wound wasn't as deep as hers was so it shouldn't need any cotton to stop the bleeding. "Any colour preference?" She grinned as he breathed a laugh.

"No. Standard Black." He smiled as Riley threaded the black thread through a sterilised needle.

Riley gently knelt on her knees behind him as she opened the alcohol wipes and wiped around the area. She wiped her hands down once more before she set to work on his wound.

A few minutes in, Riley's eyebrows furrowed as she opened her mouth and asked a question she was asking herself. "Er... You don't seem scared... At all..." She whispered.

"You don't seem to scared yourself." He replied with a chuckle.

"Oh, no... Trust me. On the inside, I'm having a breakdown. First plane crash and all... I'm Riley, by the way."

"Riley... Jack." Riley nodded before she realised he couldn't see her. "Well, fears sort of odd an thing. When I was in residency, my first solo procedure was a spinal surgery on a sixteen year old girl. And at the end, after thirteen hours, I was closing her up and I... I accidentally ripped her Dural sack." Riley grimaced to herself as she neared the end of the wound. "It's at the base of the spine where all-"

"The nerves come together." Riley finished for him. "I know."

"It ripped open... Nerves just spilled out of her like angel hair pasta, spinal fluid flowing out of her... The terror was just so... Crazy, so real... And I knew I had to deal with it. So I just made a choice. I'd let the fear in. Let it take over. Let it do it's thing." Riley couldn't help but listen intently to what Jack was saying as she tied the stitch off. "But only for five seconds, that's all I was gonna give it. So I started to count" Jack explained. "One, Two, Three, Four, Five. And it was gone. I went back to work, sewed her up and she was fine."

"I've seen a lot... I don't think I would have been able to stay chill in that situation..." Riley muttered.

"You're accent... British?" Jack asked.

"Yeah..."

"How did you end up on a flight to the U.S?"

"That's a long story... You're done."

**⁂**

That night most of the survivors huddled around each other as many fires were lit, hoping someone, anyone would see the light and send help. Riley stood off to the side as she watched the peaceful waves of the ocean. She watched the ripples form as the water crashed to the beach almost silently.

"Hey!" Riley spun around quickly. Her eyes landed on a large man with long, extremely curly hair. He smiled at her as he nodded towards the crate in his hands. "Hungry?"

"Er, no... I've got some stuff thanks." She nodded at her rucksack.

"Oh! I don't think we've met. Riley, right?" He smiled as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yes... How'd you know?"

"The doc, Jack mentioned you helped a few people. Said you were wearing uniform. I'm Hurle- Hugo. Hugo Reyes. Hurley is cool."

"Hugo, nice to meet you." Riley smiled. "Actually, isn't there a pregnant woman?"

"Claire, yeah. She's over there" He pointed of towards the left and Riley followed his finger.

"Er, I'll have mine... Don't worry about the fork." Riley grasped the small foiled container and pulled her rucksack back onto her back. She began the small trek across the sand towards Claire who sat huddled in a blanket. Riley slowed down as she reached her in fear of startling the girl. "Claire?" Riley called out.

Claire looked around at the sound of her name. Riley raised a hand and gave her a little wave. She couldn't understand why she was being so awkward. She had met many people in her time. So why all of a sudden did she feel awkward? "Yes?" Claire asked, looking up at her.

"Do you mind?" Riley asked, nodding at the pipe beside her.

Claire shook her head as Riley dropped her rucksack in front of her and took a seat beside Claire.

"Hurley... Gave me this, Er... Well, I don't know what it is and I thought... You'll need it more than me." Riley stated as she held the foiled food out to Claire.

"Oh, no. I'm okay, I've just had some. You need-"

"Please... I have stuff from the journey. I insist." Claire took the foiled food from Riley with a smile as she nodded.

"Thank you..."

"Riley. So... Baby's alright, then?"

"Yeah, He's settling down."

"It's a boy?"

"Well, I just have this feeling..." Claire trailed off as she pulled the blanket around her more tightly.

"Motherly instinct?" Riley grinned.

"Yeah, something-"

Riley jumped up as she narrowly missed tripping over her rucksack. Something huge was knocking over trees. Making the most gruesomest noise Riley had ever heard in her life. She helped Claire up as she picked up her rucksack and lead Claire quickly away from the tree line.

"Wha- What was that?" Claire asked.

"I don't know..." Riley muttered as some of the other survivors came and stood next to them, staring into the island. She couldn't help but shudder at the sound. It soundest both like an extremely large animal, but also an alarm going off.

"Is it me or is it getting closer?" Riley asked to no one in particular.

"Brilliant."

**⁂**

The first morning on the island rolled around with no rescue and while Riley didn't sleep at all, many of the other survivors did. She was standing amongst many of them as they debated over what the noise they heard could be. Riley tried her hardest not to laugh at some of the suggestions people were coming out with.

"It didn't sound like an animal." A man Riley had not met shrugged. "Not exactly."

"That sound that it made," Rose, the women Riley had saved last night began. "I keep thinking there was something really familiar about it."

"Really, where are you from?" Shannon asked.

"The Bronx."

"It might be monkeys." Riley couldn't hold her snort of laughter in as the man glanced at her with narrowed eyes. "What?"

"Monkeys?" Riley repeated with a smirk. "What monkeys have you heard that can make noise like that?"

"I bet there're monkeys in there!" He repeated.

Riley nodded sarcastically. "Oh yeah, perhaps theirs some massive monkeys in there, capable of making that noise. Hey, perhaps it's King Kong!"

"I'm only putting suggestions out there."

"Technically, we don't even know if we're on an island." Another man butted in causing Riley to role her eyes.

"Where do you say we are?" Riley asked. "Neverland?" A few of the survivors went back to the ground they had claimed leaving half a dozen to sit on the ground and talk things over. Riley smiled as she took a seat with them and crossed her arms over her knees.

"Were you on your way to a costume party?" Shannon asked causing Riley to raise a brow at her.

"No." Riley scoffed. "I was on my way home... Well, to the U.S. Then home."

"Where you from?" A man Claire had told her was Charlie asked.

"England."

"Me too!" He grinned. "Manchester, you?"

"Bristol."

"Ahh.." Charlie nodded before he glanced around. "Does anyone have any sunblock?"

"I doubt anyon-"

"Yeah, I do." Shannon interrupted Riley who looked at her with a blank look.

"You're something else..."

"You work for the Army?" Sayid asked as he pocked the sand with a stick.

"Er, yeah..." Riley nodded.

"What is your title?" He looked up at Riley with a questioning look.

"Lance Corporal." Riley shrugged.

"What does that mean?" Charlie asked as he lathered some of Shannon's sunblock on his face.

"Oh... Well, Lance Corporal is above a Private but below a Corporal... I was promoted to Lance Corporal after about three years as a private."

"What's the difference?" Shannon asked, looking genially interested.

"You have to complete Phase 1 Training, all new soldiers start as Privates although the title may be Trooper, Gunner, Signaller... Depending on Corps or Regiment. I'm a Lance Corporal so I'm required to supervise a small team of up to four soldiers which is called a section... Sometimes I'd undertake specialist military training..."

"Ah..." Charlie nodded. "Never met a soldier... A female one at that."

"Trust me, I'm no different to you." Riley snorted. "Hugo." Riley greeted Hugo as he made his way over to the seven of them. His face was paler than Riley remembered it being last night. He greeted her before kneeling down and addressing the small group.

"So... I was just looking in the fuselage... It's pretty grim in there. You think we should do something about the... Uh... B-O-D-Y-S?"

"What're you spelling, man, 'bodies?'" Michael asked with furrowed brows.

"B-O-D-I-E-S." Michael's son, Walt quickly corrected him.

"That a good idea, Hugo." Riley nodded, smiling sadly.

"No." Shannon declared. "They'll deal with it when they get here."

"We don't know how long it'll be until they get here." Riley sighed. "Don't you think it's a little heartless to just leave them on the beach?"

Before Shannon could reply, Jack had made his way over to the group and knelt down to address them. "I'm gonna go out and look for the cockpit," He began, looking at everyone. "See if we can find a transceiver to send a distress signal. Help the rescue team."

"I'll tag along?" Riley asked rather than stated.

"Kate's coming, I need people to make sure the wounde-"

"I'd rather not sit around doing nothing."

"I'll come with, too." Charlie nodded.

Riley and Charlie followed Jack to where he had a backpack and a woman with long wavy hair was filling the bag with a few essentials. Riley smiled at the women as she stood up and turned to the trio. Riley's eyes however, widened slightly as she recognised the woman, Kate. Kate seemed to recognise her too as she looked as though she wanted to run as fast as she could.

"Kate, Charlie and Riley wanted to tag along."

"Hey." Charlie smiled as Riley forced a smiled on her face.


	2. Chapter Two

"Can I ask you something?" Kate asked Charlie, breaking the silence. The four of them had been walking away from the beach for the last forty five minutes. The trek was quiet as the four didn't know what to say to each other. Riley could see Kate every so often from the corner of her eye, looking at her.

"Me? I'd be thrilled. I've been waiting."

"Have we ever met anywhere before?"

"No. That would be unlikely." Charlie replied before Riley saw a grin on his face. "But I look familiar, right?"

"Yeah..."

"You can't quite place it?"

"No, I can't." Kate replied with a small shake of her head.

After a few moments silence, Riley jumped slightly as Charlie began to sing. "_You all, everybody. You all, everybody._" Charlie grinned even bigger. "You've never heard of that song before?"

"I've heard it I just don't know wha-"

"That's us!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Us?" Riley repeated.

"Drive Shaft! Look, the ring." Riley glanced to see him show Kate a ring. "Second tour of Finland. You never heard of Drive Shaft?"

"Can't say I have..." Riley trailed off.

"The band?" Kate asked for conformation.

"Yeah, the band!" Charlie nodded.

"You were in Drive Shaft?"

"I am in Drive Shaft. I play bass!"

"Serious?" Kate asked as she stopped to look at Charlie who also stopped.

"Guys, I don't think we should sto-"

"Yeah, Charlie." Charlie interrupted Riley and addressed Kate. "Track three, I do backing vocals."

"My friend, Beth would freak. She loves you guys." Kate chuckled.

"Give me Beth's number, I'll call-"

"Unless we find a way to get help, we won't be using phones any time soon!" Riley exclaimed.

"We gotta keep moving." Riley turned to see Jack facing them.

"They were good." Kate nodded.

"They are good." Charlie corrected. "We're still together." Charlie walked off leaving Riley and Kate to trek behind.

Riley could feel Kate's eyes on her once again before she sighed and turned to look at her while they carried on walking. "Can I help you?" Riley asked with a raised brow.

"I don't know if you remebe-"

"Remember that I was sat three seats away from you and that officer? Remember that you had handcuffs on and was clearly being escorted. Yeah. I remember." Riley nodded.

"Look..." Kate whispered. "What I did... I'm not proud of. I'd like the chance to tell anyone who needs to know in my own time... I never did anything to hurt anybody that was innocent..."

"I was never going to tell anyone." Riley shrugged. "It's not my place, Kate. Besides... I saw the way that man treated you on the plane... If I wasn't so bothered as to why I was being shipped off to the U.S. I would've said something."

"Thank you..."

"Don't worry about it." The sky above them rumbled as Riley sighed deeply. The sound of thunder was littering the air around them. Riley couldn't help but pray the cockpit wasn't to far as she didn't particularly want to get wet. The clothes she was wearing and the two other sets in her rucksack left on the beach was the only clothes she had with her. She was still in her uniform as that's all she had packed in her rucksack because that's all she had to wear in Afghanistan. "Oh, you are kidding!" Riley exclaimed loudly as a down pour of rain fell rapidly.

The rain didn't even start off slow and gradually get heavier. It just fell from the sky rapidly hitting Riley, causing her to groan. The sky itself had darkened as dark clouds formed above them.

"Is this normal?" Charlie called out over the sound of the rain. "You know, this end-of-the-world-type weather?"

"We're here..." Jack stated.

Riley glanced around him as her eyes landed on the cockpit. It was in-between a mass amount of trees, propped up against one of them. The Oceanic logo was present on the side of it with the familiar blue logo.

The four of them stopped to take in the front part of the plane. The end of it was snapped off. However, the group knew it lay in pieces on the beach. Wire's were hanging out the broken end in all different colours as the rain bounced loudly off the outer shell.

"Let's do this." Jack said, moving forwards towards the snapped off end.

Riley followed behind him as Kate followed her and Charlie followed last. As Riley got closer, she winced slightly as the plane looked as unstable as it could get in its current position.

"Do you think anyone's alive in here?" Riley whispered. Many bodies littered the seats, still strapped in but not moving. The masks were hanging from the roof of the plane, unused and untouched. Although some of the seats were vacant, Riley understood why. They must've not had time to strap themselves in before the plane broke off.

"Let's get this trans..."

"Transceiver." Jack muttered.

"Transceiver thing and get out of here." Charlie declared.

"We're going to have to climb up the seats, aren't we?" Riley asked as Jack nodded and set off. She followed after him, grabbing the seats and hoisting herself up. Her thigh burned as she continued following Jack, Kate behind her.

The plane began to creak from under them as the four moved up at different paces. Riley groaned once again as she stopped behind Jack who tried to open the door, leading to the control room. "Locked."

"Pick it." Riley breathed out as she winced from the pain in her thigh.

"I'm not particularly skilled in that department." Jack stated as he glanced around and picked up a fire extinguisher.

Jack began trying to get the lock to break. Riley took this small break to catch her breath and rest her leg. Kate leaned beside her as Charlie was across from them.

"Rescue could be at the beach right now..." Charlie trailed off as he breathed deeply.

"I doubt it." Riley sighed. "Usually it's within the first few hours you'll see sign of rescue... Not trying to put a downer on anyone's spirits..." Jack had managed to get the lock to break. Riley herself contained a scream as Kate screamed for her and Charlie yelled. The door had flown open and a few bodies came crashing out and falling to where the four had just came from.

"You okay?" Jack asked.

"Yeah..." Kate nodded frantically. "You?"

"Yeah... Charlie, Riley?"

"Fine..." Riley exclaimed after a few deep breaths.

"Yes..." Charlie panted.

"You don't have to come up here." Jack stated as Riley and Kate helped each other to climb towards him.

"We're fine." Riley grumbled. As the trio made it into the controls room, they stopped to breath. The plane front was slanted much higher than Riley thought it was, making it difficult for them to climb it without slipping back down.

"What does a transceiver look like?" Kate breathed out after a few moments.

"Like a complicated walkie-talkie." Riley replied, beginning to look around.

Riley pulled herself towards the glass shield and grimaced at the pilot who lay dead. She checked his waist band for any sign of the transceiver before moving onto his control pad. "Bloody Hell!" Riley exclaimed loudly as the pilot shot up, taking deep breaths.

Kate grasped Riley's arm to stop her falling down the small clearing they had just come from. Riley thanked her as she turned back towards the pilot who looked as though he had seen better days. "Hey, can you hear me?" Riley asked loudly as the pilot coughed violently.

"Pass me that water." Riley grasped the water bottle beside her and handed it to Jack. "Here... Here you go." Jack mumbled as he helped the pilot to drink from the half empty water bottle. He took a sip before he choked and spat it back out. His eyes found Riley's before looking at Kate and back to Jack.

"How many survived?" The pilot asked, taking deep breaths.

"At least 48." Jack stated. "Does anything feel broken?"

"No, no." The pilot shook his head slowly. "Just my head's a little dizzy, that's all."

"Yeah? It's probably a concussion."

"How long has it been?"

"Around sixteen hours." Riley informed the pilot.

"Sixteen?" The pilot breathed. "Has anybody come yet?"

"Not yet." Jack shook his head.

The pilot looked as though he knew something the trio didn't. He took a few breaths before he addressed the three. "Six hours in... Our radio went out. No one could see us. We turned back to land in Fiji. By the time we hit turbulence... We were a thousand miles off course. They're looking for us in the wrong place."

"You're kidding..." Riley whispered as she sighed deeply.

"We have a transceiver." The pilot perked up.

"That's what we came for." Jack smiled as he helped the man to sit forward slightly. "You shouldn't move."

"No, no... I'm okay." The pilot thanked Jack as he pulled the Transceiver out of a small cabinet beside him.

"Guys..." Riley whispered, glancing around. "Where's Charlie?"

"Behin-" Kate stopped as she looked behind them to see no Charlie.

Riley left Jack and Kate with the pilot as she followed the way they had entered. She moved slowly as she glanced all around her. "Charlie?" She called out. "Charl- Ow!" She recoiled as the bathroom door smacked her in the face. She glared at Charlie whose eyes were wide as he looked at Riley.

"Sorr-"

"Why're you in the bathroom?"

"What." Just as Riley was about to repeat herself, the noise from the night before met their ears. Riley didn't usually feel frightened by unknown noises. With her line of work, she couldn't afford to be. However, the noise within the island scared her.

"Riley?" Kate whispered as she and Jack pulled her back into the control room, Charlie following behind.

"It's right outside." Riley whispered back.

"What? What's right outsid-"

"Shh." Jack demanded as the pilot glanced around with wide eyes.

Riley and Kate leaned against the frame as they tried to keep as quiet as humanly possible. The area they were currently in began to darken as a shadow moving was seen through the windows. Jack moved towards the fogged window as he tried to get a look outside while the pilot moved to the broken window in front of him. Riley watched him place the Transceiver on the seat as he pulled himself semi out the window.

"What's he doing." Riley frantically muttered to Kate.

The next few moments happened before Riley could even think of blinking. The noise was suddenly as loud as ever as the pilot was pulled from the plane window. Kate's screams were loud in her ear as was Jack's and Charlie's shouts. All Riley could do was gag as she saw the splatter of blood hit the window beside hers and Kate's heads. "What is th-" Riley yelped as she was thrown into Kate.

Whoever or whatever was outside was moving the plane they were currently in. The four of them jolted and smacked into everything within the room. This continued for the next minute until, suddenly, the plane was flat against the floor. Riley threw herself across the small control room in search for the Transceiver.

"We've got to go!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Leave it Riley!" Kate begged. Riley pushed herself more against the panel as she slid her hand underneath the panel and grasped the rectangular Transceiver.

"Go, go go!" Jack shouted as the four of them ran the length of the plane back out onto the ground.

"Where do we go?" Charlie asked, loudly.

"JUST RUN!" Riley screamed as she ran from the plane as fast as her legs would take her.

The noise was loud in Riley's ears as she knew it was behind them. Her heart pounded as her army boots landed in every puddle in her path. Holding tightly onto the transceiver, she carried on running, using all the strength she had in her. It wasn't until she found a small cage made out of roots from a banyan tree that she stopped running and slid between them as she turned to help the other three in before, if possible, her heart picked up a notch.

She was alone. The other three were nowhere to be seen. Frantically looking around, Riley felt tears in the back of her eyes. She cursed herself as she realised she hadn't cried in years, she had been on this island less than a day and she was already shedding tears.

"KATE!" She screamed. "JACK, CHARLIE?" On the last syllable of Charlie's name she suddenly found it hard to breath. Riley panicked as the tears spilled out of her eyes, mixing with the rain water upon her skin. Her breathing was suddenly cut off as she tried her hardest to calm herself.

Breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth, Riley tried to keep her panic at bay. She had seen members of her group on the front line have panic attacks, she noticed it almost instantly. Riley found it easier to breath as she tried to rid herself of the panic bubbling in her chest. She took one last deep breath before she stepped out of the roots.

Glancing around, she tried to figure out which was she came from. She couldn't leave the trio out here alone. Just as she went to turn around, someone smacked into her back. Riley let out a small scream as she quickly twisted and pinned the body to the ground. "Wow! Wow, Riles! It's me!"

"Charlie?" Riley asked as she glanced into his wide eyes. "Where's Kate and Jack?"

"I don't know!"

"Did you see them?"

"They pulled me up!"

"Where are they?"

"I don't know!" Charlie exclaimed.

"How can you not know!" Riley demanded.

"We got separated, look... I fell down, they came back for me, that thing wa-"

"Did you see it?" Riley cut him off in a scared whisper.

"No. No. But it was right there. We were dead... I was. And then Jack and Kate came back and pulled me up. I don't know where they are!" Riley's eyebrows furrowed as she glanced at Charlie's forehead. Moments prior, rain had been landing on it. The rain had stopped all together. The sky turned blue once again as Jessie noticed everything lighten up. "We have to go back for them..."

"Go back?" Riley nodded at him. "There? Riles, there's a certain gargantuan quality about this thing."

"Then don't come, Charlie!" Riley glared at him as she released his shoulders and stood up. Riley set off the way Charlie had come. Transceiver still in hand, she glared around, cautiously.

"Riley!" She jumped slightly as Charlie appeared from behind her. The ground was all disturbed. Trees were no longer standing within the ground but lay across the path Riley had run through. Where the ground dipped slightly, small puddles of rain had formed. Riley was about to walk through before her boot crunched something. Kneeling down she picked up the small object and rubbed some of the wet earth off.

"What is that?" Charlie asked, looking over her shoulder.

"A badge..." She mumbled as she glanced back down to the puddle. The water reflected the trees above them. Riley was about to ask Charlie a question before her eyes caught something in the reflection. Her eyebrows furrowed as she turned and glanced up at the trees.

A body was lying on top of the trees at an awkward angle. Charlie followed her gaze before clearing his throat. "Who is that?"

"That's the pilot." A male spoke as Riley spun around, noticing Kate and Jack emerged from the trees.

"Are you okay?" Riley asked, moving towards the pair.

"Yeah... Are you?" Kate replied.

"Yeah... Did you see it?"

"No..." Jack began. "It was right behind us but we dove into the bushes."

"Guys... How does something like that," Charlie began, pointing up at the pilot. "Happen?"


	3. Chapter Three

On the walk back to the beach, Riley spent the time trying to make anything happen on the transceiver. The transceiver itself would turn on but fail to do much more. The signal was non-existent while the force of impact had damaged parts of the shell. Apart from the small talk with Kate, Jack and Charlie, Riley was for the most part, silent. She was trying to make the transceiver do at least one thing.

"Anything?" Charlie asked as Kate stopped Riley from walking into a tree. She had been so caught up in the transceiver that she had not bothered to look where she was going. Riley glanced up at Charlie before sighing and fiddling with the transceiver once more.

"You keep asking if there's anything." Riley mumbled.

"Pardon me for appearing desperate," Charlie began. "But before the pilot was ripped from the cockpit, he did say that no one's going to find us unless we get that transceiver working... So... Is there anything?"

"Do you think I'd still be fiddling with this thing if there was!" Riley grumbled. "Maybe someone on the beach know's someth-"

"Hang on..." Charlie began causing Riley to roll her eyes and look at him. "Don't you work for the army? You should know things about thi-"

"I stick with using the guns." Riley stated, with narrowed eyes. "I don't work in communications."

"Right..."

"Anyway..." Riley began, forgetting about the transceiver for a moment. "What were you doing in the bathroom?"

"What bathroom?" Kate asked.

"When we were on the plane... We couldn't find him... He was in the bathroom."

"Thought you could tell..." Charlie informed the pair as they twisted around a few trees following Jack. "I was getting sick. Puking... My one tangible contribution to the trek."

"We're glad you came." Kate informed him.

"Every trek needs a coward." Charlie smiled.

"You're not a coward."

"We're back." Jack called as the four of them broke through the trees. Almost instantly, Riley knew something was up. A small crowd of people had circled around two men who were fighting over who knows what. Riley raised a brow at the scene as they walked towards it.

She glanced at Jake, Kate and Charlie who didn't seem to notice anything wrong. "Guys..." Riley muttered, pointing towards the scene. Jack glanced at her before following her finger and examining the scene. Kate and Charlie's eyebrows furrowed as Riley sighed and began to move forward. "Excuse me, sorry..." Riley mumbled as she pushed through the crowd of people. Riley watched the fight for a few moments wondering what on earth could have started it. She saw Sayid and a man she had not met rolling around the sand, throwing punches whenever they could get one in.

"Break it up! Get off!" Jack came rushing through the crowd, crabbing the man Riley didn't know by the shoulders. Seeing Jack trying to stop the situation, Michael moved forward and pulled Sayid off the ground and away from Jack's man.

"Stop it! It's over!" Jack exclaimed, loudly. Seeing Michael have trouble with holding Sayid, Riley moved forward and stood in front of him, hoping he would respect that she was trying to help and didn't go for her instead.

"Stop it, Sayid!" Riley demanded.

"I'm sick of this redneck!" Sayid exclaimed.

"Want some more?"

"No he don't!" Riley exclaimed as she blew some hairs out of her face.

"Tell everyone what you told me! Tell them I made the plane crash!" Sayid shouted as Riley winced from her ear being close to his mouth.

"What's going on?" Jack demanded as the two men continued throwing insults at each other. "What is going on!"

"SHUT UP!" Riley shouted. She was surprised to hear silence as she glanced around the group with a pleased expression.

"What's going on?" Jack asked once more.

"My kid found these in the jungle." Michael exclaimed, passing Jack something.

Riley glanced at the object in his hands before her eyes shot towards Kate. Jack was examining a pair of handcuffs which Riley knew were once on Kate's hands. "This guy," The man Jack had held pointed at Sayid. "Was in the back of business class the whole flight. Never got up. Hands folded underneath the blanket. And for some reason, just pointing this out, the guy next to him didn't make it."

"Thank you so much for observing my behaviour." Sayid said.

"Don't think I saw them pull you out of line before we boarded?"

"STOP!" Kate demanded as the two men went for each other once more.

"The cuffs were on no one!" Riley exclaimed. She saw Kate glance at her with slightly widened eyes as the two men glanced at her. She sighed deeply as she pointed at the cuffs in Jacks hands. "An undercover officer was on the plane. Sat a few seats away. We spoke for a few minutes while the plane was boarding... He had cuffs strapped to a belt he wore. So, no one was in the cuffs."

"How do we know you ain't lying?"

Riley glared at the man. "Take it or leave it!" She threw her hands in the air, transceiver in the left. "I'm telling you what I saw. So, stop picking fights... We found the transceiver, but... It's not working..."

"Can anybody help?" Kate added as Riley nodded. A few moments of silence went around and Riley feared the worst. No one seemed to know anything about it. Just as she was about to sigh, Sayid beat her too it. He sighed deeply and moved towards Kate and Riley.

"Yes... I might be able to help."

"Oh, great! Perfect. Let's trust this guy." Riley rolled her eyes as she turned back to the man she didn't know the name of and glared at him.

"You know anything about this?" He didn't say anything but glare at her. "Then shut up!" Riley handed Sayid the Transceiver. She told him what she had tried and what she had not and then left him to give it a try. She rubbed a hand down her face as she saw some of the people go back to wherever they had planted there things.

"You guys found the cockpit?" Shannon's brother, Boone asked.

"Yes..." Riley mumbled.

"Any survivors?"

Riley shared a look with Jack before she glanced to Charlie whose eyes widened, remembering the ordeal that went down. "No." Jack replied.

"It's dual-band. Military spec." Sayid stated, causing most heads to turn towards him.

"Military!" Charlie exclaimed. "Riley can wo-"

"I told you on the way back, Charlie!" Riley interrupted him, rolling her eyes at the blatant fact that he had not been listening. "Wrong line of work."

"Chances are the battery is good, but the radio is dead." Sayid added.

"Can you fix it?"

"I need some time."

"Rose!" Riley grinned as she saw the women move forward. "How are you?"

"I'm very well, thanks to you." Rose smiled kindly before she looked at Jack. "Doctor, that man with the shrapnel, I think you should take a look at him..."

"Alright." Jack nodded and left the group.

Riley followed Kate as she too, left the group in the opposite direction. "Kate!" Kate stopped walking and turned around. She smiled at Riley and raised a brow. "The man Jacks gone to see... Is he the officer?"

Riley watched Kate nod. Kate sighed as she glanced at the ocean before looking back at Riley. "Why did you lie for me?"

"The cuffs?" Kate nodded. "Well, I couldn't just let that wack-job beat Sayid up because he decided he had cuffs on... And I promised I would not say anything so I told a tiny lie... No one will ever know."

"Thank you..."

**⁂ **

Riley spent the next two hours cleaning the blood and dirt from her body. She sat on a rock in the water and gently cleaned around the stitches she had put in the day before. She had decided that her clothes were not wearable any more due to all the trauma they had been through the day previously so she changed and left them on a rock. The clothes she had changed into were basically the same as what she had discarded.

Riley didn't feel comfortable raiding the clothes that belonged to the dead, so she wore her uniform, minus the jacket. Once she felt content with how clean she was, Riley hopped off the rock and made her way back towards the beach where Sayid was still fixing the Transceiver.

She spotted him making his way towards her with the Transceiver. She smiled as she stopped in front of her. "Fixed?"

"It's seems to be, except we're not picking up a signal."

"We want to send one though?" Riley raised a brow. "Why do we need to receive one?"

"We don't have the bars. The bars would show it's getting reception."

"We need the bars?"

"We could broadcast blind, hope that someone, maybe a ship somewhere picks up our distress call. But that would be a waste of the battery, which might not last for long." Riley sighed as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "There is one thing we could try." Sayid informed her.

"What?" Riley asked almost instantly.

"Seeing if we can get the signal from high ground."

"How high?" Sayid looked off to somewhere behind her. He nodded up and Riley turned and glanced to where he was looking.

The land went up considerably further in the island. Riley glanced at the highest point she could see which looked to be the highest mountain she had seen. She squeezed her eyes shut before reopening them, hoping it was a dream. "Bloody hell..." Riley mumbled. "Alright."

"Sorry?" Sayid asked.

"I'll go." Riley nodded.

"I will join you." Sayid stated.

"Let me just go and get my things... I'll tell Jack where we're going too."

"I shall meet you over by the wreckage." Sayid nodded. Riley walked in the opposite direction from where Sayid was walking. She knew Jack would be over where they had decided to keep the man with the piece of wreckage sticking out of his torso.

She spotted Jack using a half empty bottle of water to wash the sand of his hands as he examined the wound. "Hey." She greeted him as Jack glanced up at her. "How is he?"

"Not good." Jack muttered.

"Can you do anything?"

"I can pull out the shrapnel."

"But, Kate told me if you took it ou-"

"I know." Jack interrupted her. "But that was yesterday. I was hoping he'd be at a hospital by now... If I leave him like this he'll be dead within a day."

"So what happens if you try to take it out?" Riley asked, glancing at the wound.

"If I open him up... If I can control the bleeding, and if he doesn't go into sepsis, and if I can find some antibiotics, he might be all right."

"Well... I have a first aid kit in my rucksack... It's not much but it's something. You can use it if you like. Just don't loose anything. And make sure no one takes anything. People seem to think they can just have anything around here." Riley scoffed.

"Thanks... I'll take it you didn't come here to ask how he was?"

"No, I didn't..." Riley nodded. "I'm gonna go on a hike."

Jack turned almost instantly and stared at Riley. His eyes examined her before his brows furrowed. "Sorry?"

"Sayid fixed the transceiver, but we can't use it, not from here."

"No, Wait a minu-"

"You're the one who said we had to send a signal."

"Look, you saw what that thing did to the pilot, Riley."

"Yeah, I did. Kate and Charlie too..." Riley sighed with a nod. "What makes you think we're any safer here than we are in the jungle?"

"Kate said the same thing..." Jack replied, glancing at the man again. "Wait for me. I don't know how lon-"

"Sayid said the battery won't last... I'll be fine. It's not like I haven't faced wors-"

"We don't know what that thing is!" Jack hissed.

"I'll be careful... I'm used to being quiet."

"All right... If you see or hear anything... Anything... Run."

Riley nodded slowly. She glanced back at the man on the ground before telling Jack her rucksack was with Claire and leaving. She walked the small distance to where Sayid was packing some water into a backpack. Kate was stood beside him as she looked up and gave Riley a smile. Riley returned the smile as she came to a stop beside the pair.

"Kate has offered to join us." Sayid said.

Riley nodded with another smile at Kate. "You ready then?" Riley asked. The pair nodded. Riley walked towards the tree line, Kate to her left, Sayid to her right. Riley felt the presence behind them before she heard it.

"I'd like to come with you." The trio turned around. Shannon was looking from each of the three with red eyes. Riley glanced at her brother who followed close behind her.

"She's not going." Boone declared.

"The hell I'm not!" Kate and Riley shared a look as Sayid looked from pair to pair. "I'm coming with you." Shannon stated, fiercely.

"Look, Shannon..." Riley began. "I don't think it's a good ide-"

"What are you, the same age as me?" Charlie came up from behind the pair grinning. Shannon looked at him with a look Riley would describe with disgust. "You're going?" She asked him.

"Yup." Charlie smiled. "Are you?"

"Yeah, I'm definitely going."

Riley rolled her eyes as she looked around. "I don't care who's coming." Riley began. "But we're going now."


	4. Chapter Four

Riley couldn't help but keep to herself as the six of them walked through the trees. She was angry with herself for allowing this many people to tag along. If they knew what was out here they would be running back to the beach in a flash. She had no clue as to why Shannon wanted to come. All Riley had seen her do was sit around on the beach, laying on her towel. She had no other motive but to look after herself.

Boone had obviously tagged along to keep an eye on his sister. The thought of this made Riley feel slightly sorry for Shannon. The poor girl couldn't do anything without her brother having a say.

Riley didn't much mind Sayid, Kate and Charlie being with her. She knew Sayid was much better than her at using the transmitter and she knew Kate and Charlie understood the risks out here and would take things seriously.

"You decided to join us." Riley looked around at Kate who spoke. She saw that another person had decided to tag along taking there group up to seven. Riley noticed it was the man who had declared Sayid had something to do with the plane crash. She still didn't know his name and she didn't really care.

She squeezed her eyes shut before throwing her hands up slightly and scoffing. "What is this, a school trip?" Riley asked. "Got any others behind you we should know about?"

"I'm a complex guy!" He declared, walking off in front.

"What does that even mean." Riley muttered under her breath. The next forty five minutes went past with very little talk. No one bothered to start up a conversation so everyone walked in silence. The only time the seven helped each other was when they had to climb up the earth to reach higher ground.

When they were climbing, Riley could hear Shannon and Boone arguing over who knows what. She couldn't help but wish they'd've stayed on the beach. "Ok, wide open space!" Riley rolled her eyes as she heard his voice from the back of the single file line they had created. "Check the radio, see if we're good."

"We're not gonna have any reception." Sayid informed him.

"Just try it."

"I don't want to waste the batteries."

"I'm not asking you to keep it on all day."

"We're still blocked by the mountain." Sayid calmly said.

"Check the damn radio!"

"IF I JUST CHECK," Riley sighed deeply as she turned around, ready for whatever was about to go down. "WE MIGHT NOT HAVE ANY JUICE LEFT WHEN WE GET T-" Sayid was cut off by a loud, familiar noise. Riley jumped slightly as her eye's widened. She wasn't scared of much, however, being on the island for a mere day and coming into close contact with whatever lived in the jungle, scared her.

"No, no, no.." She mumbled frantically.

"What, what is it?" Shannon demanded.

"What the hell is that?" To the left of them, the grass was moving as branches could be heard snapping. Riley tried hard not to blink in fear of missing any movement.

"Something's coming." Kate whispered. Riley froze. She realised she was frightened of whatever lived in the jungle. However, the sound filling her ears wasn't anything like the noise she had heard before.

"It's coming towards us, I think." Charlie mumbled.

"Let's move." Riley declared, turning backwards and beginning to run.

"I shouldn't have come on this hike!" She heard Shannon cry.

"Sawyer!" Riley saw Kate stop and turn around. Riley grabbed her arm to stop her from running back the other way.

"Stop, KATE! Who's Sawyer?" Riley spoke before feeling dumb. He was obviously the only person in there small group she didn't know the name off. She also noticed that he wasn't with them. He hadn't bothered to run. "I'll go!" Riley exclaimed as Kate nodded frantically.

Riley turned and ran back the way they had come. She passed Boone and Shannon who was screaming her poor soul out. She didn't have to run far. Just as she was about to call out she stopped in her tracks. Sawyer had a gun. A gun. And was pointing it in front of him, waiting for whatever was going to come out of the trees. "Are you crazy!" Riley demanded. "Let's go-"

Nine gunshots cut her off. Nine gunshots coming from the gun in his hand. Riley almost gave up and went to run after Kate and the others before her brows furrowed. A huge white animal fell to the ground after one last growl. She slowly moved forwards as her eyes took in the animal. It was hanging onto life by a small thread. It's breathing was long and shallow.

"That's a big bear..." Riley noticed the others had also came back. Riley could hear the bears breathing pick up. Her eyes didn't leave it as she found something odd about the bear.

"You think that's what killed the pilot?"

"No." Charlie began, panting. "No, that's a tiny, teeny version compared to that."

"Guys..." Riley whispered.

"What?" Kate asked.

"This isn't just a bear... It's a polar bear." The seven of them moved slightly closer to the bear as it took it's last breaths. Riley examined the bear with a cautious look.

"That can't be a polar bear." Boone muttered.

"It's a polar bear." Riley stated.

"Wait a minute..." Shannon began, looking at the bear in disgust. "Polar bears don't usually live in the jungle."

"Spot-on." Charlie nodded.

"No, Polar bears don't live this far south." Riley corrected.

"This one does."

"Did. It did." Sawyer corrected Boone.

"Where did that come from?" Kate asked him.

"Probably bear village. How the hell do I know?"

"Not the bear you idiot, the gun." Riley scoffed, standing beside Kate who was watching the gun wearily.

"I got it off one of the bodies."

"One of the bodies?"

"Yeah, one of the bodies." Sawyer, nodded sarcastically at Sayid.

"People don't carry guns on planes." Shannon butted in.

"They do if they're a U.S. marshal. There was one on the plane." Riley felt Kate stiffen beside her. She glanced at her to see her eyes on the ground.

"How do you know that?" Riley demanded.

"I saw a guy lying there with an ankle holster, so I took the gun, thought it might come in handy. Guess what, I just shot a bear."

"So, why do you think he's a marshal?" Kate spoke up.

"Because he had a clip on badge. I took that too. Thought it was cool."

"I know who you are." Sayid spoke up. "You're the prisoner."

"I'm the what?" Sawyer demanded.

"You found a gun on a U.S marshal? Yes, I believe you knew where it was because he was bringing you back to the States. The handcuffs were on you. That's how you knew."

"Piss off!"

"That's who you are, you son-of-a-b-"

"You're just as suspicious of me as I am of you."

"You're the prisoner." Sayid declared.

"Fine, I'm the criminal. You're the terrorist. We can all play a part." Riley was about to speak up before she thought better of it and waited for Sawyer to turn more towards Sayid. Once she was content with how far he had turned, she lunged forward. Riley nudged him forward as her left palm made contact with the gun in the back of his jeans.

Pulling it out, she took three steps back before pointing the gun at him. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he didn't once glance away from her face. Riley almost faultered. She never, ever pointed a gun at an innocent civilian. However, she knew how dangerous people could be when they had a simple gun on them. Deadly.

Moments went past as Riley stared at Sawyer who glared at her. She didn't understand what she was doing, she knew she couldn't give him the gun back now. "Don't use the gun." Sayid muttered, trying not to startle her..

"I... I'm going to take it apart." Riley said, more to Sawyer than Sayid.

Riley tilted the gun ever so slightly, before she pushed the small button on the grip of the gun. The magazine full off bullets hit the ground with a small thud. She kept the gun pointed at Sawyer as she knelt down and picked the magazine up from the soft ground. Riley slid the magazine into her pocket before she held the grip of the gun once more and pulled the top part of the gun off. She slid this part into her pocket too before twisting the gun in her hand and holding it out to Sawyer.

He didn't move for a moment. He merely stared at Riley with a look she couldn't make out. It wasn't until she shook her hand slightly that he moved forward.

Expecting him to grab the gun from her, Riley almost gasped when his hand grasped her wrist and tugged her harshly towards him. She grimaced slightly as his knee hit her leg wound which was only just starting to close over. Before he had a chance to say anything, Riley was grabbing his hand with her other and pushing it away from her. "You don't touch me, ever." She whispered up at him being a considerable amount shorter than him. "I mean it."

"C'mon, Sweet-cheeks... Ain't everyday a guy like me comes across a girl like you." He grinned down at her causing her to scowl.

"You don't know me." Riley muttered. "And you never will."

"We'll see about that."

"We should keep moving." Sayid broke the silence.

**⁂**

"Oh, now's a good time to check the radio!" Sawyer exclaimed. "Not before, but now!"

Riley almost lost her cool with him. He had been making remarks ever since she had dismantled the gun and she was fed up with it. They had been walking for a further forty minutes and had covered much more ground. They were higher and there was no trees surrounding them. Riley listened to the static of the radio as Sayid messed with a few buttons. "Bar." Sayid muttered.

"What?"

"We've got a bar!"

"What is that?" Kate asked referring to the noise coming from the radio.

"Feedback... Mayday, mayday!" Sayid called.

"Feedback from what, what would do that?"

"I don't know!" Sayid said, in shock.

"I'll tell you what." Sawyer said as Riley saw a hand go past her face while he pointed at Sayid. "This guy not fixing the radio. The thing doesn't even work."

"No. No, no, no, it's not broken." Sayid declared, fiddling with the dials.

"Wait." Riley mumbled.

"What?" Kate asked.

"The noise... We can't transmit anything because something else is already transmitting..." Riley trailed off.

"Transmitting from where?" Charlie asked, looking around at the lower ground.

"Somewhere close..." Riley muttered. "The signal's strong."

"Somewhere close? You mean on the island? That's great!"

"Maybe its other survivors." Boone put in.

"From our plane? How..."

"What kind of transmission is it?" Sawyer demanded.

"Could be a sat phone," Sayid began. "Radio signal-"

"Can we listen to it?"

"Let me get the frequency. Hold on." Sayid spoke frantically. Riley watched him slowly turn the small dial, looking for the right frequency. It took no longer than a minute for Sayid to locate the frequency. Everyone perked up considerably as Riley frowned. She was listening to what the woman was saying.

Everyone around her was celebrating while her heart began to sink lower and lower. She heard the number of iterations and the French voice again before sighing deeply. "Guys... GUYS!"

"Iteration 7-2-9-4-5-3-1." The radio spat out.

"What's that?" Charlie demanded.

"Does anybody speak French?" Sayid desperately asked. "The batteries are dyi-"

"You don't want to know what it says." Riley muttered.

"You speak French!" Charlie exclaimed. "We're gonna be saved by the Frenc-"

"We're not!" Evelynn stated. "It's repeating..."

"Repeating? Repeating, what?"

"Iteration... It's a loop." Riley sighed. "I told you... You wouldn't want to kno-"

"What is she saying?" Kate asked, forcefully.

"'I'm alone now. I'm... On the island alone. Please, someone come." Riley spoke seconds after the French woman. "'The others, they're... They're dead. It killed them... It killed them all'"

"What're the numbers?" Charlie whispered. "Inter..."

"Iteration is a counter. The number is how many times it's been played." Riley sighed. "It's roughly thirty seconds long so..." Riley began to do the math in her head. "Sixteen years." Riley whispered.

"What?" Boone asked.

"Sixteen years... And five months..."

"What are you talking about?" Boone demanded.

"IT'S A DISTRESS CALL!" Riley shouted. "A PLEA FOR HELP!" Riley could almost hear everyone's spirits dropping. "If I counted right... It's been playing over and over... For sixteen years." Riley whispered.

"Someone else was stranded here?" Shannon asked.

"Maybe they came for them..." Kate shrugged slightly.

"If someone came, why is it still playing?"

"Guys..." Charlie muttered, looking around. "Where are we?"


	5. Chapter Five

Riley, Kate, Shannon, Boone, Charlie, Sayid and Sawyer. The seven of them, after wasting most of their time trying to send a message to anyone who could pick up through the transmitter, were making their ways back to the beach. The silence that clouded them followed for most of the journey. While it didn't take them long to reach the point where they got a bar, it seemed to be taking them longer to return to the beach.

"It's getting dark." Boone broke the long silence.

"Way to state the obvious..." Riley muttered under her breath.

"Then pick up the pace." Sawyer declared.

"Hick." Riley heard Boon mutter.

"A little louder?" Sawyer demanded.

"We should make camp." Sayid changed the subject, quickly.

"What... Here?" Shannon asked, eyes wide.

"Yes, here."

"I'm not stopping." Sawyer declared, continuing towards the trees. "Ya'll have a nice cook out." Riley stopped beside the other five as she watched Sawyer walk closer to the trees. She glanced at Kate with widened eyes as Sayid rolled his.

"Excellent. Walk through the jungle in the dark."

"Afraid the tress are gonna get us?" Sawyer asked Sayid as he sopped at faced them.

"No." Sayid shrugged. "What is knocking down the trees will get you."

"If you're so worried about me, how bout you give me the clip back?" Sawyer raised a brow as he pulled the empty gun out and waved it at Riley.

"Put your gun back in your pants, Sawyer." Kate demanded.

"Look..." Riley sighed, moving forward slightly. "Sayid's right... If you keep walking, you're not going to make it to the beach."

"Yeah, why's that?"

Riley sighed deeply as she bit her lip and looked towards the trees. She hated the way she felt about whatever it was that lived in the jungle. She hated how scared she felt when she even thought about it. She had no idea what it was or even looked like. And as much as she didn't particularly enjoy Sawyer's company, she didn't want him to end up like the pilot. "Just... Trust me." Riley muttered.

**⁂ **

"This is Australia." Riley watched intently as Sayid dropped a rock onto the grass by the fire they had built. The seven of them were sat fairly close together around the fire as Sayid stood in front of them. "This is us." He declared, holding a branch with the end lit.

"Nice stick." Sawyer sighed.

"Shh."

"Two days ago, we take off from Sydney." Sayid began, walking around the rock with the stick. "We fly along the same north-east route every commercial airliner bound for Los Angeles does. Now the pilot said he lost communication with the ground, Correct?"

Riley nodded as he glanced at her, Kate and Charlie. "Around six hours in. He turned around and headed for Fiji" She added.

"So we changed course..." Sayid began again. "Regrettably, no one knew we changed course. The turbulence hit... We know the rest."

Riley watched as he put out the fire on the end of the branch using the ground. "The pilot said we were over a thousand miles off course." Kate spoke from beside her.

"Yeah, but... They'll find us." Charlie said as Sayid took a seat on the ground next to Shannon. "They have satellites in space that can take picture of your license plate."

"If only we were all wearing license plates." Much to Riley's surprise, this comment didn't come from Sawyer but rather Sayid.

"Aren't you the pessimist..." Charlie trailed off.

"Basic photography, point and shoot." Sayid began. "Satellites can shoot, but they must be told where to point." Riley took this as his apology to Charlie. Charlie nodded to indicate that he understood. Although she usually enjoyed it, she hated the sudden silence that overcome the small group.

"Okay, really enjoyed the puppet show. Fantastic." Sawyer spoke up causing Riley to glance at him. "So, we're stuck in the middle of damn nowhere. How about we talk about that other thing?"

"What're you talking about?" Riley asked with a sigh.

"You know that transmission Abdul picked up on his little radio."

"Who's Abdu- Sawyer!" Riley hissed as she saw him looking at Sayid. "Must you be so hostile all the damn time!"

Sawyer merely glanced at her before continuing. "The French chick that said, 'they're all dead.' The transmission's been on a loop for... How long, Sweetcheeks?"

"Sixteen years..." Riley muttered.

"Right." Sawyer nodded slightly as he looked into the fire. "Let's talk about that."

Silence. No one wanted to remember that someone had sent a broadcast out sixteen years ago. No one wanted to think about the endless possibilities that happened to that poor French girl.

"Well, we have to tell the others when we get back." Boone declared.

"Tell them what exactly?" Shannon hissed to her brother.

"What we heard."

"You didn't hear anything, she did. How do we know she isn't lyi-"

"Do you really think I'd stand there and lie to you all?" Riley interrupted, loudly.

"Well, we don't really know yo-"

"And I don't know you!" Riley exclaimed.

"No one's going to tell them anything." Sayid declared, over the top of the pair. "To relay what we heard without fully understanding it will cause panic. If we tell them what we know... We take away their hope and hope is a very dangerous thing to lose."

"So we lie." Kate and Riley stated together.

"Let's just get some rest..." Sayid declared.

The seconds passed into minutes while the minutes turned into hours. Riley was surprised to feel sleep wash over her the second hour in. While sleep came to her almost as soon as she had the courage to close her eyes, she could still feel and hear everything that was going on around her.

It wasn't until she heard someone moving around that she was suddenly fully awake. She kept her eyes closed just encase it was someone changing but opened them slightly when she felt them lean over her. She panicked when she felt someone touch the side of her trouser and pull something out of her pocket. She thought for a moment on what she had in her pocket that could possibly be of use to someone before she remembered the gun.

Riley kicked her left foot out quickly causing whoever it was to fall to the ground like a sack of potato's. She sat up and threw her body towards whoever it was causing them to shout out.

"Get off me!" Riley glanced down to see Boone.

She glared at him as she let him up. The other five had also jumped up at the commotion. "What're you doing?" Riley demanded.

"What's going on?" Sayid asked.

"This little perv' was touchin-"

"No I wasn't!" Boone exclaimed. "Well... I wasn't touching you like that! I'm standing guard."

"Sorry, I didn't know standing guard meant touching people when they slept!" Riley hissed.

"You heard what they said is out there." Boone declared, looking at Sayid. "I wasn't touching her like that."

"You took my gun off me, boy?" Sawyer looked more shocked than annoyed.

"Please, he's never even held a gun, he doesn't believe in guns. He goes on marches." Shannon exclaimed.

"Give it to me." Sayid demanded.

"Oh, yeah give it back to Aljazeera, he'll protect us!" Sawyer butted it.

"Aljazeera's a network." Charlie informed him.

"I'll keep the damn gun." Boone said.

"We should give it to her!" Riley looked around to Shannon who had her hand pointed at her. It took her a few moments to realise what she meant as she noticed everyone looking at her.

"Yeah." Charlie nodded. "Riles should hold the gun. She knows how to handl-"

"Exactly!" Boon interrupted. "She knows how to use guns! She'll shoot us in out slee-"

"Who do think I am!" Riley demanded, taking a step towards him. "You really think I'm so cold hearted that I'd murder you all in your sleep?"

"Well, you do murder peo-"

"SO THAT YOU CAN LIVE IN A FREE COUNTRY!" Riley screamed as Kate pulled her by the arm away from Boone. "I may be from a different country but I worked with people from yours... You know what? I don't want to hold the stupid gun... Give it to Kate."

"Wha-"

"Kate's holding the gun." Riley shrugged. "End of." Riley watched as Boone sighed before walking slowly towards her and passing the gun to Kate who grabbed it unwillingly.

Riley pulled herself away from everyone who was looking at her. Most were giving her pity looks but she didn't want there pity. She sighed as she placed herself back on the ground and faced away from the six.

"That was out of order." Charlie whispered. Riley knew he must have been talking to Boone as Kate and Sayid agreed.

"I don't like ya'll and even I think that was out of line." Sawyer muttered. Riley heard them all retake there spots as silence fell once more. It wasn't that she couldn't but Riley didn't bother sleeping once more. She lay awake until light began to shine upon the ground.

Once the sun did rise, the seven of them set off once again for the beach. Riley didn't speak one word to any of them as she lead the way. She merely returned Charlie's small smile and Kate's nod before ignoring everyone.

Once she did break through the trees, Riley walked over to where most people were crowded around looking panicked.

"They're back!" Someone exclaimed, setting eyes on Riley.

Riley waved slightly before waiting for the others to catch up to her.

"What happened?" Claire asked as the other six stopped beside Riley.

"As you and the others know," Sayid began, loudly. "We hiked up the mountain in an attempt to help the rescue team locate us. The transceiver failed to pick up a signal. We weren't able to send out a call for help. But we're not giving up. If we gather electronic equipment, your cell phones, laptops, I can boost the signal and we can try again. But that may take some time, so for now, we should begin rationing our remaining food."

Riley looked around at everyone who looked to be either, annoyed or disappointed. She couldn't help but fell annoyed herself. She and the other six had just went out of their ways to try and get help... A little gratitude would've been nice.

"If it rains," Sayid continued. "We should set up tarps to collect water... I need to organize three separate groups. Each group should have a leader. One group for water. I'll organize that. Who's organizing electronics?"

Riley sighed as she moved out of the clutter of people. She didn't feel as though she wanted to be around people. She knew what Boone said was not true. She would never, ever kill anyone in cold blood. But she couldn't help but wonder if others thought about her the same way Boone did... Did they all think she would murder them in her sleep?

"Riley, how'd it go?" She looked up as she bumped into Jack and Hugo.

"Alright... As Sayid said, we didn't get anything." Riley lied.

"Dude..." Hugo muttered as he sighed. "You should stay clear from that Kate chick."

"Hurley!" Jack hissed.

"What?" Riley asked as Hugo quickly disappeared over to the others. "What does he mean?"

"Nothing." Jack muttered. "So... No signal, huh?"

"No... Yes..." Riley sighed.

"Is it a no or a yes?" Jack asked.

"Let's walk back to your patient." She mumbled, glancing back to make sure no one was following. The pair walked back to where Jack was keeping the guard. Riley waited a few moments before she began with a sigh.

"We couldn't send out a signal... Another signal was blocking it. The other signal... We heard it. It was a distress call from a French woman. She said that the others were dead... That something had killed all of them... She said that she was alone on the island. It been playing for sixteen years..." Riley whispered towards the end.

Jack sighed as he looked back at the group. "Why didn't you tell them?"

"Sayid said he didn't want to take their hope away... I agree." Riley shrugged.

"Anything happen... With Kate?" Jack asked.

Riley watched him for a moment. She watched the emotion flash through his eyes. "No." She stated. "Why?"

"No rea-"

"Hugo has a different option." Riley pointed out.

"We found... The man with the shrapnel. The handcuffs... We think she's the one they were on. We found some paper with her mugshot-"

"Then get rid of it." Riley shrugged. "I know... I was the one who said the cuffs were on an officer. I was sat three seats from Kate..."

"You didn't think to say anything?"

"Well, no. It's not my business... For what it's worth that man was treating her like she wasn't human... The things he was saying. Look, all she's been to me is nice so, I don't see why we should tell anyone. It's not like they won't pick up on anything... Just let her tell them in her own time. It's not something you come out with when you don't no someone is it?"

"Alright..." Jack nodded after a few minutes.

Riley noticed that they had walked to the shrapnel guy and back again. She looked around as everyone busied themselves doing something. "Anything you need me to do?" Riley asked.

"Well, the officer isn't getting better unless we get some stronger antibiotics... I looked in your kit and took the pain relievers." Jack said.

"That's alright... But I thought we've been through everything?"

"What about the luggage in the overhead compartments?" Jack asked, looking at the plane wreck.

"Have the bodies been cleared out?" Riley grimaced slightly.

"No.. I'll handle i-"

"No." Riley interrupted. "I'll do it. You'll be needed if he wakes up again."

"Alright then." Jack nodded, putting a hand on her shoulder before leaving.

Riley sighed deeply as she made her way towards the wreckage. Her legs almost begged her to turn around and run. She didn't want to have to see the multiple bodies that were currently inside the wreckage. But she had to. She didn't want to put this job onto anyone else. Riley didn't want the others to see the bodies within. She had seen bodies before so it wasn't anything new.

She grabbed an empty bad and a flashlight from the top of an electrical pile before entered the wreckage from the bottom and manoeuvring herself towards the many bags. Choosing to start from the bottom and make her way upwards, Riley took a seat and crossed her legs. She began unzipping bags and searching through them for anything useful.

As the time passed, Riley began to feel somewhat calmer. She felt as though all the pent up frustration she had since landing on the island was beginning to go away and after an hour, she didn't mind being on the island so much. She had filled the bag up around half way with medicine she had found and while she wasn't a doctor, she was certain some of these were strong.

Riley jumped from her spot on the ground as she heard movement to the left of her behind some pillars that had fallen. She swore under her breath as she rubbed her elbow. She looked around for a moment before continuing on with her searching. As she was unzipping a blue bag she heard movement again and was certain she didn't imagine it.

Ever so slowly, Riley pushed the bag away from her and stood up, pointing the flashlight in front of her. She slowly moved forward as her eyes took in everything in front of her.

She jumped and almost tripped on someone's luggage as another light turned on. She looked up into Sawyer's face who grinned down at her from where he was perched with the light on his face. "_Boo_."

"What the hell is your problem!" Riley grumbled as she brushed some hairs out of her face with her palm. "What're you doing?"

"Trick-or-treat. Same as you." He grinned as he climbed down and stood a few feet in front of Riley.

"You're stealing." Riley rolled her eyes.

"You call it what you want, Sweetcheeks."

"What do you have in the bag?" Riley asked, nodding at the bag.

"Booze, smokes, a couple Playboys." He grinned once more before nodding down at her bag. "What's in yours?"

"Medicine." Riley said. "Jack needs so-"

"You the Doc's PA now?"

"No. I'm helping. I've got nothing better to do." Riley said as she turned and sat back on the ground, cross-legged. "Do you do this when your home too? Steal from the dead?"

"Sweetcheeks, you got to wake-up and smell the gull crap here." Sawyer began, going through some more bags. "Rescue ain't coming. You're just wasting your time."

"Looking through some luggage?" Riley raised a brow at him. "How am I wasting my time?"

"The doc's trying to save a man, who last time I checked, had a piece of metal the size of my head sticking out of his bread basket."

"So, what say you, Sawyer?" Riley sighed, turning towards him as he leaned against a pillar looking down at her. "You think Jack should just let the man die?"

"How many pills he gonna use to fix him up?"

"I don't know?" Riley shrugged.

"The Doc's not looking at the bigger picture. He's still back in civilization." Sawyer shrugged.

"Right... And where are you?"

"The wild, baby!"

"Please don't call me that again." Riley muttered under her breath.

"Speaking of the wild... What that kid said to you... No one else is thinking it."

Riley had to process what he said for a moment before she even realised. She glanced up at him slightly as she wondered why he even bothered saying it. "What do you..." Riley began slowly. "Never mind. I know people's not. I guess he was just angry he couldn't hold the stupid gun."

"Stupid gun, huh?" Sawyer chuckled. "You're the only one on this island who knows how to use a gun better than the rest of us... I would've been happy to let you hold my gun, Sweetcheeks."

"It's not even your gun." Riley snorted. "Belongs to the cop."

"Touché." Sawyer mumbled before he picked up his bag and walked away. "See you soon, Sweetcheeks."

"Not if I can hep it." Riley mumbled to herself.


	6. Chapter Six

"Jack knows." Riley sighed with a small nod as Kate sat on the sand beside her. She had finished searching the plane hours ago and after giving Jack the bag of medicine, she started a small fire and spent the remaining sunlight sat in front of it.

"I know." Riley muttered. "Hugo too."

Riley winced as the cop cried out once more. He had been groaning and shouting for the last few hours causing Riley to want to be as far away from him as possible. "Jack says he'll feel it." Kate said.

"Do you want him to?" Riley asked with a raised brow. "To feel it?"

"He followed me for months... No."

"What you've got to realise, Kate," Riley began. "Is that not everyone is worth saving. I learnt that the hard way."

"She's right Freckles."

Riley rolled her eyes as Sawyer made his was over to the pair. He took a seat facing them on the opposite side of the fire. All he could do was grin at the pair as glanced from Kate to Riley. "What do you want, Sawyer." Kate demanded rather than asked.

"Came by to thank you." He smirked.

Riley stared off into the ocean as she watched the stars twinkle down upon the waves. She had never seen the stars so bright in the sky the way they were currently shining. She had seen them bright during her time in Afghanistan, but never the way they were currently shining. "You gonna ask what for?"

"What for?" Riley rolled her eyes.

"Taking that gun away from me."

"I didn't take the gun away from you." Riley stated, looking at him. "It was never yours to begin with. Besides, Kate has it now so you can forget about it."

"Exactly, Freckles has it!" Sawyer grinned once more. "Sure wouldn't want to be the one with that gun right now."

"Why not?" Riley asked, genially interested.

"Everyone sitting out here listening to the poor man scream all night, knows what's got to be done... Only one that can do it is the one with that gun."

"No one's thinking that." Riley scowled.

"That's what your new best friend thinks..." Sawyer spoke, nodding at Kate. "I heard her tell the hero the same thing."

Riley's eyes shot to Kate who glanced into the fire. She surveyed her with caution before sighing and rubbing a hand over her face. Why did she always have to be a part of these conversations?

"Hell, there's only one bullet left." Sawyer shrugged. "Be damn near poetic."

"She's not going to just go into that tent and kill that man, Sawyer!" Riley hissed, quietly.

"Maybe not her... But you know where the best place to shoot is."

"What?"

"You can make it quick, painless." Sawyer shrugged slightly.

"I took an oath for queen and country. I'm not about to go in that tent and kill a man in cold blood." Riley hissed at him.

"Alright... Then how 'bout you teach us the spot's that will kill someone instantly, if shot?" Sawyer said, raising a brow at Riley. "You wouldn't be killing no one."

"I'll be assisting." Riley sighed.

"You can't sit there and tell me that he's not better off dead."

Riley thought long and hard about what Sawyer was asking. She glanced at Kate who was staring into the fire. Although she didn't say anything, Riley could tell she thought Sawyer was right.

"Well?" Saywer raised a brow. Before Riley could even reply Jack was seen walking towards them. He looked as though whatever he was about to do, he really didn't want to do it. He continued walking until he stopped a few feet from the fire. "How's it going, Doc?" Sawyer grinned.

Jack ignored him as he smiled at Riley before looking at Kate, blankly. "He want's to talk to you." Kate wasted no time in standing up and brushing the unwanted sand off herself. Riley stared at her back as she noticed the gun still sticking out of her jeans. Sawyer noticed to as he raised his brows at Riley before dropping them.

Jack merely stared before walking back down the beach where everyone had taken refuge. The pair sat in silence, waiting for the gunshot they knew was bound to come. Riley wasn't sure why she wasn't rushing over to stop Kate... She knew, however, that the man was going to die. Jack was kidding himself, there was no saving him on this island.

"You do it." Riley whispered.

"What?" Sawyer asked.

"I'll tell you where to shoot... If you go in and do it. Not Kate." Riley muttered, insuring no one was around.

Riley stood and brushed sand of her legs before looking down at Sawyer with a raised brow. Ever so slightly he nodded. He stood up as both of them made there way to the tent. "Your best bet is the head." Riley sighed, deeply. "It's more humane, however, he's awake. He'll probably ask you to do it if he's in as much pain as we know he is. The heart would be better as he wouldn't have to stare at a gun. Look at me." Riley stopped and waited for Sawyer to turn towards her. Once he was looking at her she raised a hand to her chest and motioned under her left breasts. "Your hearts he-"

"I ain't dum-"

"No, you listen." Riley hissed. "People mistake it for being further up, it's not. The rib cage is protecting it... It's between the fifth and sixth left rib's..."

Riley didn't wait for his reply as she walked in the opposite direction from where she knew a gunshot and a dead man was about to lay.

"Riley!" Her eyes shot up as Jack and Hugo came running up the beach. Riley panicked ever so slightly as Jack came to a stop in front of her.

"Kate has a-" Jack cut himself off as he let out a breath. "Kate!"

Riley turned around and saw Kate leaving the tarp from the opposite side. She looked around and gave Riley a small nod before turning and continuing to wherever she was off to. Jack breathed deeply as Riley couldn't help but feel guilty she closed her eyes and waited. Waited for the gunshot that was moments away.

When it did come she didn't jump like Jack and Hugo did. She merely opened her eyes and sighed. The only good that had come out of this was knowing a man was no longer in pain. "What did you do?" Jack demanded. Riley looked to see Sawyer had come into view looking solemn while holding the gun in his hand. She brushed some hairs out of her face before glancing at Jack who looked livid.

"What you couldn't." Sawyer said. "Look, I get where you're coming from, being a doctor and all... But he wanted it. Hell, he even asked me!"

Riley moved forward as Jack did. She shook her head slightly at Sawyer who looked ready to pick on of his infamous fights. "I don't like it any more than you do... But something had to be done." Sawyer whispered, harshly.

Riley thought she had imagined it as she heard a quite cough. It wasn't until she heard another on that her eyes widened as she looked at Sawyer. "Oh, no way..." Hugo exclaimed from a few feet away.

"You idiot..." Riley whispered as Jack darted through the tarp. She followed him quickly as she looked down at the man. His mouth was gushing blood as well as his chest. Without even examining it, Riley knew Sawyer had missed. He had missed his heart.

"You shot him in the chest?" Jack asked, desperately as he grabbed some cloths and tried to contain the bleeding.

"I was aiming for his heart!" Sawyer replied, entering through the tarp.

Despite the current situation, Riley was thankful he didn't mention her. "You missed." Jack declared as Riley knelt down to help.

She grabbed some on the shirts littering the ground and balled them up, placing them upon the mans chest and putting slight pressure on them.

"Man... Is he still breathing?" Riley heard Hugo's monotone voice.

"You perforated his lung." Jack exclaimed, frantically. "It'll take hours to bleed out."

"There was... I only had one bullet."

"Get out." Jack whispered. "GET OUT!" Riley watched Sawyer who looked at her as though he realised what he did had cost him. She shook her head ever so slightly as him and nodded out the tarp. He left with no complaint.

"Jack..." Riley trailed off as the noises began to quieten. In a matter of seconds the sounds of him coughing on his own blood quietened into nothing. The noise filling her ears was non-existent. His body moved no more as she moved the soaked T-shirts away from his womb. He continued to bleed but not move.

"He's dead." Jack stated, standing up and leaving quickly. Riley sighed down at him before standing up, her hands covered in blood. She wiped them on a nearby towel before leaving the tarp. Sawyer was stood a few feet away, watching Jack walk towards the others.

"He's dead." Riley repeated the same words Jack had told her moments previously.

"You said the hear-"

"And you missed." Riley interrupted in a whisper. "How did you miss? I told you exactly where... Doesn't matter... I shouldn't have said you should kill him. I'm as much to blame... I'm sorry... Nothing we can do now."


End file.
